Legal Options After Receiving Threats of Physical Violence
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Reviewed & verified by A. Jason Velez, Esq.*
Managing Attorney, 1LAW · Last reviewed January 17, 2026
Legal Inquiry
Consumer Legal Issue
I have someone threatening me and saying they are going to jump me and knock my teeth down my throat.
I know this person he used to be my friend and the messages have been deleted.
Attorney Answer
Yes — threatening to "knock your teeth down your throat" can constitute terroristic threatening under Kentucky law, and you should file a police report now even though the messages were deleted.
Kentucky Revised Statutes § 508.080 makes it a Class A misdemeanor (terroristic threatening in the third degree) to threaten to commit any crime likely to cause death or serious physical injury to another person. A threat like this can fall under this law regardless of whether the messages themselves survive, because deleted messages aren't necessarily gone for good — the platform, the phone carrier, or witnesses who saw or heard the threat may still be able to recover or corroborate what happened.
What you can do:
1. File a police report now, describing the threat and the deleted messages in as much detail as you can recall, including dates and any witnesses.
2. Ask the officer whether the platform or carrier can be asked to preserve or recover the deleted records before they're purged.
3. If you have a qualifying relationship with this person (such as a former partner, family member, or someone you've lived with), ask about a civil protective order — it can often be obtained faster than waiting on a criminal case and provides an immediate no-contact safety measure.
4. Have a local attorney review your options for both the criminal complaint and any protective order.
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Courts & Legal Aid in Kentucky
- File or look up a case through the Kentucky Court of Justice, which serves the state.
- Get free civil legal help from Kentucky Justice Online.
- Use the LSC — Find Legal Aid to find a local legal-aid office by ZIP code.
- Use the LawHelp.org to browse free legal information and self-help resources.
- Use the ABA Lawyer Referral Directory to get matched with a local attorney through your state bar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a verbal threat alone be a crime?
In many states, threatening to commit a crime likely to cause death or serious injury can be a criminal offense even without any physical contact.
Does it matter if the threatening messages were deleted?
Not necessarily — deleted messages can sometimes be recovered through the platform or carrier, and witnesses may also corroborate what was said.
Can someone get a protective order against a person who threatened them?
In many states, a civil protective order may be available more quickly than a criminal case, particularly where there's a qualifying relationship, such as a former partner or family member.
